By LINDA McGURK
Indiana Correspondent NEW CASTLE, Ind. — Years of unsatisfactory advice on how to improve plant performance in his greenhouse operation spurred Dave Denison of New Castle, Ind., to delve into his own research.
Today, he’s gone from “frustrated farmer” to “mad scientist,” developing and marketing Organi-Gro, a product that he believes will improve soil quality as well as farmers’ bottom line.
“I kept asking questions and people gave me answers that didn’t make sense, so I started doing my own research and had a lot of success with the formulas,” Denison said. “The whole concept came to me about 25 years ago.”
Today, Organi-Gro sports four liquid, non-toxic soil enhancers/plant foods and one seed-flow lubricant. Soil Amp is formulated to improve soil quality by increasing the availability of existing nutrients in the soil, stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms and reducing nutrient leaching.
Soil Amp is often used in combination with Plant Amp, a natural, all-purpose plant food that increases biological life in the soils.
The Organi-Gro product line-up also includes Trans Amp, an all-natural formulation designed to reduce transplant shock and promote strong root development, Seed Amp, which stimulates rapid seed germination, and Planter Lube, a seed flow lubricant.
Though the formulas are proprietary, Denison divulged that his research brought him back to the 1800s and his formulas are based on old-school methods that had fallen into oblivion.
Initially, he produced the formulas in his own greenhouse but about a year ago the production was moved to a separate facility in New Castle.
The company now has a handful of employees and is growing rapidly, targeting row crop growers in addition to backyard gardeners and greenhouse operators.
“We were able to see the results, and with the knowledge what we can do on a small scale, it was a no-brainer to work on a large scale,” Emily Farris, Organi-Gro’s sales and marketing director, said about targeting the agricultural community.
“We don’t have any distribution sites right now but hopefully that’ll be available within the next year. On the horticulture side, Organi-Gro is carried by independent garden centers in Indiana. By next year we’re hoping to expand into Kentucky, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio.”
So far, a lot of the sales in the ag community have happened by networking and word of mouth. Greg Hochstedler, owner of the agritourism venture Boondocks Farms in Knightstown, Ind., uses nothing but Organi-Gro on his vegetables fields, and swears by the products.
“This type of fertilizer is pretty amazing; it changes the composition of the soil over time. Instead of putting tons of nitrogen on the field we apply minute amounts of this, and it releases the nutrients that are already there. It’s a whole new philosophy for how to grow plants,” he said, and added “It’s not a cure-all but it amends the soil to do what it’s supposed to do.”
Denison said Organi-Gro has been field tested, with some soybean growers reporting up to a three-bushel per-acre increase in yields.
But the main focus of Organi-Gro is to improve the quality of the finished product, for example enhancing the colors of flowers and increasing the shelf life of vegetables.
“We’ve tested the soil before and after application of Organi-Gro, and the availability of a variety of nutrients has increased across the board. It keeps nutrients from being leached, so we could see this product having huge potential for golf courses.”
For the agricultural community, Organi-Gro is mainly marketed as a complimentary product. “Farmers can continue to use their usual products, but they will be able to reduce their use,” Denison said. “It’s definitely a money saver.”
According to Farris, Organi-Gro can be used for corn and soybeans as well as alfalfa. Seed Amp is particularly beneficial to boost germination in late plantings, second plantings and dry weather conditions, whereas Soil Amp can increase yields, improve plant health and enrich soil structure. The company also recommends using Plant Amp in combination with Soil Amp to supply a natural source of added nutrients.
“Everybody gets a one-on-one consultation with our sales team to determine what ratios they need. There is a general application rate but every sale is customized,” Farris said. “The more comfortable they become with the product, the more they can use it to replace their old practices.”
And judging by Denison’s own experience, he has good reason to believe farmers and backyard gardeners alike will turn to his product.
“I think they will experience more success and less frustration (with Organi-Gro),” he said.
For more information about Organi-Gro, go to www.organi-gro.com |
